Toughie No 3462 by Light
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty ***/**** – Enjoyment ****
Light set us a Toughie which I thought was tricky for a Wednesday, but with lots to enjoy. 22a was my favourite clue.
Please let us know what you thought
Across
1a Plenty of people paid a ton in City regularly (10)
PROSPERITY An informal name for people paid to do something, a preposition meaning each or a and the abbreviation for Ton inserted into the regular letters of cItY
6a Expressions of surprise on your bike overturning (4)
OOHS A reversal (returning) of a verb meaning to go away (on your bike)
9a Old stager casually entertains ruffians (7)
TOERAGS An anagram (casually) of STAGER ‘entertains’ the abbreviation for Old
10a Role for Dudley Moore half-cut, tucking into small drink (7)
MARTINI Half of the role that Dudley Moore played in a 1981 romantic comedy of the same name inserted into a synonym for small
12a Man-of-war getting rope to replace camel’s strand (4,2,3,4)
SHIP OF THE LINE A rope replaces the last word (meaning strand or abandon) in the name that used to be given to a camel, the result being another name for a ship usually referred to as a man-of-war
14a Scratching head, agree with me about issue (6)
EMERGE An anagram (about) of aGREE with ME (scratching head telling you to omit the A)
15a Speaker that requires current ahead of ENO’s latest Messiah maybe (8)
ORATORIO A speaker, the symbol for electrical current and the latest letter in enO
17a Fool Welshwoman, twisting more modern language (3,5)
NEW LATIN More modern than the Romans used. A reversal (twisting) of a fool and a Welsh woman’s name
19a About a billion boomerangs in Australia, I calculate (6)
ABACUS A reversal (boomerangs) of C (about) A (from the clue) B (billion) inserted into the abbreviation and/or IVR code for Australia
22a Little one is here in Number Ten (4,2,7)
NEXT TO NOTHING if you look at ten in numbers, where is the one?
24a Rubbish heaps collected by celebrity saving energy (7)
FLOTSAM Heaps or a large amount inserted into (collected by) a synonym for celebrity without (saving) the symbol for energy
25a Runs when tardy, out of bounds and out of earshot (7)
UNHEARD The inside (out of bounds) letters of rUNs wHEn tARDy
26a Book lover’s prime country base (4)
LUKE The prime letter of Lover, an abbreviated country and the letter that is the base of the natural system of logarithms
27a How to reduce social networking contacts by yourself (10)
FRIENDLESS Split 6,4 this would be an instruction as to how to reduce social networking contacts
Down
1d Stroke sheep climbing top of tor (4)
PUTT A reversal (climbing) of a ram followed by the ‘top’ of Tor
2d Run across court (7)
OVERSEE An adverb meaning across and a verb meaning to spend time with romantically (court)
3d Lama perhaps is comprehending origin of Tibetan insect (7,6)
PRAYING MANTIS A description of a lama or priest (7,3) and IS (from the clue) between which is inserted the ‘origin’ of Tibetan
4d Put trust in English city setting aside parking (4,2)
REST ON A Lancashire city without (setting aside) the abbreviation for Parking
5d Office worker with most of brief in drawers? (8)
TEMPTERS An informal name for a particular office worker and most of an adjective meaning brief
7d Player back for Morocco more alert, shaking off the Spanish (7)
OLIVIER The letter at the back of MoroccO and more alert without (shaking off) the Spanish definite article in the middle of that word
8d Caught increasingly nervous husky in tower (5,5)
SHIRE HORSE Homophones (caught) of increasingly nervous or bashful and husky of voice
11d Opened once again, the lad’s beer is drunk (2-11)
RE-ESTABLISHED An anagram (drunk) of THE LADS BEER IS
13d Revealing strange fungi drilling near lake (10)
MEANINGFUL An anagram (strange) of FUNGI Inserted into (drilling) a synonym for near or stingy and the abbreviation for Lake
16d Name of the French burrowing squirrel and koala bear, for example (8)
MISNOMER The French word for name ‘burrowing’ into someone squirrelling away money. A koala bear is an example of the solution because, of course, it isn’t a bear
18d Model to remove unwanted hair before job (7)
WAXWORK Remove unwanted hair and a job
20d Relative‘s pirouetting dance in retro European clubs (7)
COGNATE A reversal (pirouetting) of a dance inserted between the abbreviation for Europe and that for the suit of Clubs, retro telling you that they too are reversed in the solution
21d American air’s stifling temperature – acclimatise (6)
ATTUNE The abbreviation for American and a musical air ‘stifling’ the abbreviation for Temperature
23d Likelihood of regulars going in side door tipping (4)
ODDS Alternate letters (regulars going) in a reversal (tipping) of SiDe DoOr
Lovely stuff. Cracking definitions from the off – 1a, etc. 10a’s delightful and 3d made me laugh. 22a’s dead smart. 18d’s an especially sweet surface too. Best thanks to Light and Sue.
What an excellent puzzle!
On the whole I found this reasonably straightforward for a toughie, but I did pause at a couple, namely 16d and 20d.
I rarely single out favourite clues in any cryptic puzzle, but today I will select a podium of 9a, 27a, and favourite 3d.
Many thanks to Light and to CS for the write-up. 5* for enjoyment.
A really enjoyable puzzle with top-class clues throughout – thanks to Light and CS.
My ticks went to 25a, 27a, 2d and 16d with my favourite being the superb 22a.
Out all day, but thought I would check out Gazza’s favourite clue.
Well worth it – 22a is a fabulous clue!
The only thing wrong with this puzzle is the compiler’s pseudonym. Light this was not!
I didn’t enjoy the previous Toughie from this setter, but I decided to give him another go today and I’m pleased I did. Although this one was much harder, it was far more enjoyable with 10a, 22a & 3d making it onto my podium.
I struggled for a while trying to work out for 20d how “cadence” (anagram of “dance” in CE) could be defined by “relative” until the penny finally dropped with a very loud clang.
Many thanks to Light; a bit lighter next time please. Thanks too to CS.
I found this a bit of a slog for a Wednesday and failed on two, so thank you Sue for the parsing. From the many clever clues I particularly enjoyed 27A but the brilliant 22A takes my podium.
Many thanks to CS and Light.
A toughie worthy of the name, on a level I’d expect to encounter on a Friday.
Very subtle clues, some of which took an age to parse.
The Welshwoman in 17a threw me for a while as I was convinced she was called Gwen, so that one goes on my podium as does 12a and 22a.
Thanks to CS and Light, which is certainly a 16d.
Yes, I thought Gwen as well. The only Alwens I know are men! Nuff said!
Enjoyed the puzzle a lot, but still getting used to the ipad way of doing things
Thanks Light and CS
I had the same trouble with Gwen in 17a and also spent an age trying to think of a word for “agree” that was -erge to follow “me about” in 14a. Quite tough [say 4*] for me, particularly the NW, where 2 of the most fiendish and best clues were [1a and 2d]. I also liked 22a.
Thanks to Light and CS.
Struggled to locate the Light switch with this one so pleased Sue has at least given it 3.5* difficulty rating. Completed without a letter reveal but certainly not unaided as I used the check progress facility & made 2 corrections en route to a laboured finish. Belated 6a when the pennies dropped eventually. Very much enjoyed the tussle & plenty of clues hit the spot. 22a clear fav with podium spots for 3d&10a & near misses for 7&8d
Thanks to Light & to Sue for explaining a couple of the whys.
Quite challenging in parts for us and we struggled with the Welshwoman in 14a for some time. We’ll go with the crowd and nominate 22a as our favourite.
Thanks Light and CS.
Superb puzzle and a proper Toughie, by no mistake. COTD for me 3d but so many could take similar plaudits.
Many thanks to Light and Sue